Diana Ross performing at Stamford gala

Christina Hennessy, Staff Writer

Published 6:10 pm, Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Photo: Stephen Lovekin, Getty Images

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Singer Diana Ross performs at New York City's Radio City Music Hall in May. Ross will perform a benefit concert at Stamford Center for the Arts Palace Theatre in Stamford on Friday, March 18, where she also will be honored with an Arts Legacy Award. For ticket information, call 203-325-4466. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images) less

Singer Diana Ross performs at New York City's Radio City Music Hall in May. Ross will perform a benefit concert at Stamford Center for the Arts Palace Theatre in Stamford on Friday, March 18, where she also ... more

Photo: Stephen Lovekin, Getty Images

Diana Ross performing at Stamford gala

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Diana Ross has found success on the big screen, the small screen and on stages around the world, and this week, she will add another honor to her list -- the Arts Legacy Award.

"She has never performed here, so we are really excited," said Elissa Getto, executive director of the arts organization. "She has had such an enduring career."

Ross, 66, was a teen when she signed with Motown Records in 1961, as a member of The Supremes. The all-female singing group, which included Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard, recorded a dozen Top 10 hits before Ross headed out on her own nearly 10 years later. She soon began hitting the charts, with such songs as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," and later, "I'm Coming Out" and "Upside Down."

In 1972, she appeared in "Lady Sings the Blues," a movie about jazz singer Billie Holiday, earning an Academy Award nomination for her performance. Three years later, Ross starred in "Mahogany," and, later, "The Wiz (1978)."

Through the years, Ross has appeared in concert across the United States and the world, including her most recent tour, "More Today Than Yesterday."

Getto said by working with Premier Concerts, a Waterbury-based promotion and production company, the center was able to secure Ross for the gala and provide a night of entertainment for the public. Ross' 90-minute show, which promises eye-catching costumes and sets, has been garnering positive reviews.

An effort to reach Ross was unsuccessful.

"This is a performance in and of itself," Getto said, adding that although the gala is sold out, there are still tickets available for the show. "We are going to be bursting at the seams, but in a good way."

Last year, it was jazz legend Dave Brubeck who earned the Arts Legacy Award in the gala's inaugural year.

"It is a nice situation to be able to honor two Connecticut residents who have made such a difference," Getto said. "This state is so rich in talent."

Brubeck is a Wilton resident, while Ross has a home in Greenwich.

The gala, which last year raised $150,000, benefits SCA's Arts Education Program, which provides area young people a chance to expand their creative knowledge, through music, dance and theater. The funds also help to identify emerging talents. This year's Emerging Young Artist $2,000 Scholarship will be awarded to Staples High School junior and jazz pianist Danny Pravder, in honor of Brubeck.

As was the case last year, interest is high for the evening, Getto said, adding that the center has been lucky to get such powerhouse performers in the gala's first two years.